Four Summer Favorites From #TimeToMove

After the 2018 edition, the Swatch Group decided to leave  Baselworld and launched this year a new format in which they introduced the novelties of Blancpain, Breguet, Omega, Harry Winston, Jaquet Droz and Glashütte Original. Under the name ‘Time to Move’ a carefully curated selection of the worldwide press, which included Haute Time, was invited to Switzerland to discover the new watches in the manufactures in which they where created. This with the exception of Glashütte Original who created an immersive manufacture experience on location in Geneva. These intimate settings allowed us to fully go into the details of each particular watch and discuss them with the people responsible for their creation. Among them where these four watches which we already crowned as our summer favourites;

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda
With the Barakuda is Blancpain adding another vintage inspired watch from its rich history to the Fifty Fathoms collection. It is pleasing to see that they don’t go for a near identical recreation, but rather take some distinct styling elements from the original model and carry them over to this new watch. With a diameter of just over 40mm, it is rather modest in size for a modern-day diving watch, yet because it is so well proportioned, it really doesn’t need to be any bigger. Inside we find automatic caliber 1151, made in-house by Blancpain. The movement and its stunning oscillating weight is visible through the glass caseback and provides the Fifty Fathoms Barakuda with a power reserve of no less than 100 hours.

Breguet Marine
While Breguet did introduce some beautiful new models, another great novelty was not a watch, but a bracelet. The brand launched a sturdy titanium bracelet to match the Marine 5517, Marine Chronographe 5527 and Marine Alarme Musicale 5547 made from the same material. It results in a ton-sur-ton creation, which is sportive and robust while remaining elegant. Quite an accomplishment. More so, because the bracelet is crafted from titanium, it is not only very light, but it is also highly resistant to corrosion, perfect for the marine environment for which the watch was created.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph
Omega launched the chronograph version of the latest generation of the Seamaster. It has become an imposing watch that is as capable underwater as it looks good above it. It measures 44mm in diameter and is fitted with both a ceramic bezel, as well as ceramic chronograph pushers. It is powered by Master Chronometer caliber 9900, which not only impresses by its precision but also allows for a symmetrical dial layout. This dial is engraved by laser with a wave pattern and now has even more depth to it compared to the time-only version of the Seamaster as the subdials for the chronograph as slightly sunken into the dial. Overall it makes for a great addition to the Seamaster line-up, and we wouldn’t be surprised if James Bond would concur with us.

Glashütte Original SeaQ
Glashütte Original was also inspired by its history, launching not only a new watch but an entirely new collection. Named ‘Spezialist’ it is dedicated to robust sports watches, of which the SeaQ Panorama Date, SeaQ and the SeaQ 1969 are the first examples. The last two are based on the fifty-year-old ‘Spezimatic Type RP TS 200’ while the first is a more modern styled interpretation of this watch. Just as the original is the SeaQ water resistant up to 200 meters and is the luminous material slightly tinted. This really adds to the vintage feel of this watch. What is not vintage is the movement of it, as it is powered by caliber 39-11, which is crafted in the brand’s manufacture in Glashütte, Germany. Even the diameter of the SeaQ is with 39mm nostalgic, however make no mistake, just as the original, is also this watch quite capable of holding its ground as a serious diving watch.